Work Placement Student Guide - AHSI

1

Work Placement

Student Guide

Australian Health and Science Institute Level 1 333 Kent Street Sydney NSW 2000

Ph: 02 9015 1513 RTO: 40185 CRICOS: 03222F ABN: 18 113 249 175

Email: [email protected] Web: www.ahsi.edu.au

Warning: This document becomes uncontrolled when printed. This document is current as of time of printing Work Placement Student Guide of 20 Version 1: March 2019

Contents

Work Placement Overview ..................................................................................................................... 3 Eligibility .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Your Work Placement Employer ............................................................................................................. 4 Using Your Own Employer ...................................................................................................................... 4 Work Placement Employer Agreement Form......................................................................................... 4 Required Durations ................................................................................................................................. 5 Work Placement Confirmation Form ...................................................................................................... 6 Work Placement Pre-Requisites ............................................................................................................. 6 Competency Based Training ................................................................................................................... 8 Work Placement Assessment ................................................................................................................. 9 Roles and Responsibilities .................................................................................................................... 11 Dress Code and Personal Hygiene ........................................................................................................ 12 Attendance ........................................................................................................................................... 13 Electronic Devices ................................................................................................................................. 14 Rearrangement of Assessor Visit .......................................................................................................... 14 Penalties ............................................................................................................................................... 15 Work Placement Code of Ethics ........................................................................................................... 15 Work Placement Health & Safety Guidelines ....................................................................................... 16 Work Placement Privacy Guidelines ..................................................................................................... 16 Work Placement Procedure Guidelines ................................................................................................ 16 Frequently Asked Questions ................................................................................................................. 18

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http://www.ahsi.edu.au/





Work Placement Overview Work placement involves students applying the skills and knowledge learnt in class to practice in an actual workplace. Students are supervised by a workplace supervisor and will be assessed by an AHSI assessor. The assessor will use the Work Placement Assessment Kit, workplace visits and the observations of the supervisor, to determine if a student is competent in the workplace. Work placement is central to the course and there is a strong emphasis on ‘learning by doing’. The emphasis is also on education through gaining first-hand knowledge by working in an actual workplace. Because work placement aims at enabling students to become effective employees, all other aspects of the course have been designed to encourage the overall development of skills and knowledge that are directly related to a workplace. Many students have gain employment from their host employers if they do well in their work placement. Students should treat every day as a job interview and you may find that you have a job by the end of your placement. AHSI does not guarantee at any stage that a student will gain employment due to work placement. Why is work placement a mandatory part of your training? It is a requirement to complete work placement in order to receive your qualification. Through work placement you will be able to develop your skills and build confidence in providing services to clients in a secure and safe environment.

IMPORTANT – Work Placement Policies It is every student’s responsibility to know and be familiar with the student guidelines and policies

before attending your work placement. These are strictly adhered to, to ensure fairness to all students and quality of service for our clients.

Eligibility Students are eligible to participate in work placement upon completion of specified units in their course. The students are only deemed eligible to participate if they possess the required attributes and skills. Students who are scheduled to participate in work placement, but are not deemed ready to do so, will be interviewed and an alternative course of action will be agreed upon. This may mean repeating the appropriate term of study, or in some cases, discussions about the suitability of the course in general. It should be noted that we work in high risk industries with vulnerable people. As such, AHSI has a duty of care to ensure each student’s ability to care for these types of clients. If, for any reason, a student is unable to comply with and meet the policies and standards of conduct of a host employer you may not be permitted to complete your work placement. This may affect your ability to complete your qualification or progress to further qualifications. For more details on Eligibility, refer to the FAQs at the end of this document or ask your trainer or Student Support.







Your Work Placement Employer AHSI will assist you to find a suitable work placement employer to undertake your work placement through its list of work placement employers. However, sometimes students are able to locate suitable work placement employers themselves. All work placement employers located and sourced by students must be approved by AHSI. Students will need to submit a Work Placement Employer Agreement Form to AHSI Student Support with the details of your work placement employer for approval. The shifts that you are required to work are reflective those of the actual workplace. Whilst the total hours that you complete should not exceed those specified in your training materials, the hours and days that you complete the shifts may differ from those of your normal timetabled training days or those of your fellow students. Students must be prepared to undertake shifts that are allocated by the work placement employer and need to remain flexible and prioritise work placement requirements over any other commitments. AHSI will make all reasonable effort to provide a work placement that is close to the campus or the students location. However, work placement employers are not always close to the CBD areas. Students should be prepared for some travel if a work placement employer is not available close to the campus.

Using Your Own Employer Students currently employed in an appropriate workplace may be able to complete their assessment requirements within their own workplace and may not need to find a host employer. However, approval must be gained by both employer and AHSI for you to use your employer. This does not increase the 40 hours per fortnight paid employment available to International students. You will need to submit a Work Placement Employer Agreement Form to AHSI with the details of your employer.

Work Placement Employer Agreement Form Arranging work placements and managing relationships with Host Employers takes time and must be carefully planned. If you would like to submit a Work Placement Employer Agreement Form, we need time to assess the workplace you nominate. If, for some reason, the workplace you nominate is not approved, we would then need time to arrange an alternative work placement. For these reasons, we need to specify due dates for the Work Placement Employer Agreement Form to be submitted. If you do not submit the form by the due date specified below, it will not be possible for you to nominate your own Host Employer. Different qualifications will have different due dates as the work placement occurs at different times.







Qualification Due date for Employer Agreement Form Timetable Of Work Placement (student’s term of study)

CHC30115 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care

Week 10, Student’s 1st term of Study Term 3 – 120 hours

CHC50113 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

Week 10, Student’s 1st term of Study Week 10, Student’s 5th term of Study (if different from 1st work placement block)

Term 3 – 120 hours Term 7 – 120 hours Term 8 – 120 hours

CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support Week 10, Student’s 1st term of Study Term 3 – 120 hours

CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support* Week 2, Student’s 1st term of Study Term 2 – 120 hours

CHC43115 Certificate IV in Disability* Week 2, Student’s 1st term of Study Term 2 – 120 hours

CHC52015 Diploma of Community Services


Term 4 – 60 hours Term 8 – 60 hours

CHC53315 Diploma of Mental Health


Term 4 – 80 hours Term 8 – 80 hours

*Entry into these courses requires successful completion of CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support

Required Durations Different qualifications have different requirements in regard to hours of work placement. A summary of all qualifications with work placement is found below:

Qualification Work Placement Hours To Be Completed

Timetable Of Work Placement (student’s term of study)

CHC30115 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care

120 hours Term 3 – 120 hours

CHC50113 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

360 hours

Term 3 – 120 hours Term 7 – 120 hours Term 8 – 120 hours

CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support








CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support*


CHC43115 Certificate IV in Disability*


CHC52015 Diploma of Community Services

120 hours Term 4 – 60 hours Term 8 – 60 hours

CHC53315 Diploma of Mental Health

160 hours Term 4 – 80 hours Term 8 – 80 hours

*Entry into these courses requires successful completion of CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support

Work Placement Confirmation Form Students will be issued with a Work Placement Confirmation Form prior to the commencement of their work placement. The form outlines the specify details such as location of the workplace, contact details of your host employer, allocated shifts, induction date and time, start date and finish date of work placement, estimated week for the assessor visit and dress code. From time to time, a host employer may require you to complete more hours per week than usual. Some host employers prefer students to work ‘full time’ for the duration of their placement. If this happens, you are likely to finish your work placement earlier and your assessor visit must take place earlier. Unfortunately, if you complete your work placement without this assessor visit, you will not be eligible to receive the qualification. Therefore, it is essential that you advise AHSI of any changes to your work placement so that the assessor visit can be rescheduled. AHSI must be immediately if there are any changes from the schedule set out on your Work Placement Confirmation form. This includes:

• Changes to the days you work • Changes to the hours per week that you work • Changes to the duration of your work placement (i.e. the expected finishing date).

Work Placement Pre-Requisites In order to complete your course, it will be required that you meet all course assessment requirements and complete all your work placements to the required standard. You will need to ensure you are up to date with:

• Academic results (competency achieved in all assessments relevant to the units that you are enrolled in).







• Course fees • Course attendance

In order to facilitate the allocation of your work placement, evidence of meeting all of the following pre-requisites must be provided:

1) A National Criminal History Check 2) A current First Aid Certificate (HLTAID003) which you will complete during your course 3) A current Working with Children Check 4) A current immunisation record with evidence of up to date vaccinations

AHSI strongly encourage you to gather the required documentation as early as possible. The placement requirements must be fulfilled to be able to complete the mandatory placement hours. The progress of your course and the anticipated completion date might be challenged in case of failure to present the necessary evidence in the period specified. If you require assistance in relation to the National Police Check or Working with Children Check please contact Student Support. National Police Check A National Criminal History Check must be submitted in order to work in a variety of Healthcare facilities. As stated previously, a National Criminal History Check is also a requirement for allocation of work placement. If you are aware of any prior criminal convictions, you are encouraged to speak with Student Support prior to enrolment. Providing your police clearance is paramount to access the work placement necessary to complete your course. It is recommended to launch your application as soon as possible in your enrolment process. The current processing time for a routine National Police Check vary and can take approximately 15 working days from the date it is received by Criminal Records. Working with Children Check AHSI requires that all students undertake a working with children check prior to work placement. A Working with Children Check is a requirement for people who work or volunteer in child-related work. It involves a national criminal history check and a review of findings of workplace misconduct. A completed working with children check is valid for a period of five years. First Aid requirements A current First Aid Certificate (HLTAID003) is required in order to attend your placement. This unit will be completed as part of your course. You must be able to present a statement of attainment for this unit. The First Aid Certificate must remain valid for the entire duration of your studies. Immunisation Record Requirements Immunisation requirements Health care workers may be exposed to and transmit vaccine-preventable diseases, therefore maintaining immunity in the health care worker population helps prevent transmission of vaccine-preventable diseases to and from health care workers and patients. Prior to undertaking your work placements, you will be required to be screened and vaccinated as per immunisation guidelines for health care workers to ensure your own personal safety and that of residents, staff and visitors from the potential threat of exposure to vaccine-preventable diseases. Documented evidence of your immunisation status must be presented to enable AHSI to assess your vaccination status, to increase immunisation awareness and to update records.







The table below you will find a list of recommended vaccines for health care students along with minimum acceptable evidence of immunity. This information is subject to change and we suggest you check these requirements at the time of your enrolment or at www.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/Handbook10-home

Disease Minimum evidence of immunity accepted Influenza (Flu) Documented evidence of influenza vaccination during the current influenza season.

Confirmation of immunity post-vaccination is not required. Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)

Documented evidence of measles, mumps and rubella antibody (IgG) on serology or documented evidence of 2 measles vaccinations at least one month apart or born before 1966. Confirmation of immunity post-vaccination is not required.

Varicella Zoster (Chicken Pox)

Documented evidence of varicella antibody (IgG) on serology or documented evidence of varicella vaccination or a history of prior chickenpox or shingles (no documentation required for history of infection). Confirmation of immunity post-vaccination is not required.

Diphtheria, Tetanus And Pertussis

Documented evidence of a booster dose of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine in the last 10 years. Confirmation of immunity post-vaccination is not required

Poliomyelitis History of vaccination with a primary course of 3 vaccinations (documentation is not required). Confirmation of immunity post-vaccination is not required

Hepatitis B Documented evidence of Hepatitis B core antibody or documented level of Hepatitis B surface antibody (>10mlU/ml) following completion of a course of Hepatitis B vaccine. Confirmation of immunity post-vaccination is required after completion of the vaccination course for all Health Care Workers. It is a requirement that all students involved in patient care must have evidence of Hepatitis B immunisation. A full course of injections must be completed and serology report evidencing conversion obtained prior to your first clinical placement.

Hepatitis A Documented evidence of hepatitis A antibody on serology (IgG) or documented evidence of completed course of Hepatitis A vaccine. Confirmation of immunity post-vaccination is not required

Your immunisation status is critical to be able to start your placements. If you are not up-to-date with your immunisation, be aware that it can take a few months to complete your immunisation. Therefore, AHSI advise that you initiate this process with your health professional as soon as possible from the moment you accept the offer to integrate our course. The course timetables will not be altered. AHSI does not accept any responsibility for any undesirable outcome caused by your failure to act on these requirements in due time.

Competency Based Training Competency based training is the basis for the training being undertaken in your qualification and these competency standards have been developed through consultation with industry. Competency Based Training (CBT) focuses on what is expected of an employee in the workplace rather than on the process of learning. The focus is on the ability of the person to apply relevant



http://www.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/Handbook10-home





skills and knowledge to the competency standard determined by the industry. Competency is a broad concept and covers all aspects of work performance, including the ability to:

• Undertake the task • Manage the task • Manage a number of different tasks • Transfer the task to different environments • Work within industry/workplace standards

When evaluating students, supervisors will take into account the above points as well as the attitudes, ethics and level of understanding shown by the student. It is therefore possible for a student to be able to undertake a task but not pass the task if he/she displays attitudes inappropriate to the work environment.

Work Placement Assessment Purpose of Work Placement Assessment Work placement assessment requires students to demonstrate the skills and knowledge learnt at AHSI in an actual workplace situation. Students are expected to use the range of skills they have acquired throughout their course and apply these to each work placement situation. Students who are studying at diploma level are also required to use more advanced skills and demonstrate a broader range of other skills. Students are reminded that they must successfully complete their work placement to complete their course. If there are gaps in any of the sections below, students may be asked to undertake more hours in work placement to develop skills or may be required to undertake additional training.

Units of Competency Being Assessed Students will be assessed on the units of competency listed in the Work Placement Assessment Kit for their qualification.

Work Placement Assessment Kit Students are required to complete a Work Placement Assessment Kit. This Assessment Kit will collectively provide a record of evidence to show that you have successfully completed the specific assessment requirements of each unit of competency listed within the kit. Satisfactory completion of each section is required in order to be competent. Students must have their Assessment Kit with them on every scheduled work placement day and be able to present the Assessment Kit to the Assessor during the assessor visit day. In the event that a student is not able to present the Assessment Kit to the assessor during an assessor visit, penalties will apply to arrange for another assessor visit. It is a requirement that you submit your completed Assessment Kit by 5pm on the Thursday of Week 11 of the work placement term. You are required to submit the Assessment Kit in person to Student Support. It is also your responsibility to keep your Assessment Kit safe and secure for the duration of your work placement. Please ensure that you take a copy of your Assessment Kit every time you add to it, to ensure you do not lose the record of the hours that you have logged and the activities that you perform in the event you lose the Assessment Kit itself.







The full requirements for assessment are outlined in the Assessment Kit for your qualification, but in summary, the Assessment Kit includes 4 sections: Section 1 - Induction and logbook As a part of the Assessment Kit, you will be required to undergo an induction and keep a logbook, in which you will record work placement hours. Your logbook will look like this:

Section 2 - Portfolio You will also be required to complete a portfolio of evidence including recording different tasks and activities you have performed during work placement sessions. All sections must be completed and deemed satisfactory. If sections are not completed, you may be required to do additional work placement hours in order to complete them. Section 3 - Supervisor Testimonial This section requires your supervisor to sign off on the activities you have undertaken in the workplace and determine whether these tasks are completed to the standard required in the industry. Section 4 - Assessor visit The assessor will visit the student in the workplace and speak to the supervisor in order to assess their ability to meet the requirements of each unit of competency.

Important Note: Assessor Visit

Students must be assessed in the workplace in order to meet the requirements of the course. An assessor visit will be arranged in the final weeks of your placement. We will specify a date range in which this visit will occur on your Work Placement Confirmation Form. If you complete your work placement without this visit, you will not be eligible to receive the qualification. Therefore, you must notify AHSI immediately of any changes to your work placement as this mean that you will not be at the workplace within the date range on your Work Placement Confirmation Form.







Roles and Responsibilities Role and Responsibilities of the Workplace Supervisor

• To explain the expectations of the workplace regarding performance and tasks, workplace standards, hours of work and other details pertinent to the student, at the commencement of work placement.

• To support the student’s work on a day to day basis and to actively encourage the student in achieving their specific objectives.

• To ensure that the student is adequately briefed on workplace policies and procedures. • To take responsibility for the general supervision and educational development of the

student whilst on placement (or delegate this to an appropriate person). • To notify AHSI Student Support immediately if it is felt that the student is not complying

with the general rules of the workplace, or not making satisfactory progress. • To validate the attendance record of the student. • To give an evaluation of the student’s level of skills (or to delegate this to an appropriate

and qualified third party).

Roles and Responsibilities of the Student • To organize travel, parking and meal arrangements prior to placement. • To notify the College of any changes to work placement hours and arrangements from

the Work Placement Confirmation Form.

• In some industries, workers are required to use “own vehicle for transporting clients or other work purposes” is not covered in the placement agreement. This is not covered by this work placement agreement.

• To work within workplace structure, meeting workplace standards. • To demonstrate sensitivity and discretion toward the clients of the service. • To represent the service / host employer in a professional manner. • To dress appropriately in agreed uniform. Typically, this means hair must back, all facial

piercings removed, minimal jewellery and minimal makeup.

• To actively participate in the professional learning process. • To be aware and adhere to confidentiality. Breaches of confidentiality are regarded as

serious violations of professional ethics and will be dealt with accordingly. • To work under the direction of the nominated supervisor, in so far as the direction is

compatible with their level of skill and knowledge. • To be aware that student doing work placement in a host employer’s premises is not an

extra staff member.

• To notify nominated supervisor and the Student Services Team in your campus if there are any difficulties with the placement.

• To inform nominated supervisor and the Student Services Team in your campus of any lateness, leaving early, taking extended breaks or non-attendance. It will be necessary for the student to make up time.

• To participate in a continual evaluation process. • To not turn up to work placement under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs.







Roles and Responsibilities AHSI Student Support

• To arrange work placement for the students. • To issue Work Placement Confirmation Form to students. • Ensure all agreements with facility and supervisor are in place. • To develop field placement competencies in conjunction with trainers to meet unit

objectives. • To provide the supervisor with resource materials and course information as required. • In consultation with the host employer, to arrange the assessment of each student

placement and devised appropriate strategies where problems arise during placement.

• To liaise and meet with host employers and evaluate the placement process to be actively encouraging “feedback”.

• To be available to the students undertaking placement throughout the placement to provide support and assist with any issues that arise.

• To be the point of contact for students to notify the College of any lateness, leaving early, taking extended breaks or non-attendance.

Dress Code and Personal Hygiene To maintain professionalism, students attending work placement are required to maintain a clean & tidy appearance.

• Students must wear their AHSI logo t-shirt with navy or black pants. • Jewellery is not permitted for personal safety reasons (clients may accidentally pull

jewellery resulting in injury to the wearer)

• AHSI does not permit short skirts or short shorts, low-riding pants, bare midriffs, low-cut tops or singlets.

• Students are required to have short, clean nails, clean clothing and no strong body odours.

• Appropriate closed in footwear must be worn. • Name badges must be worn at all times. • If you are unsure about the appropriate dress code, please check with Student Support

prior to attending work placement. • In children’s services, students must wear a hat if outdoors. • Smoking is not permitted on AHSI property or work placements at any time. Please

refrain from smoking before shifts/during breaks to avoid odour from cigarette smoke affecting clients, staff.

A student who is not appropriately attired may not be permitted to work by their host employer and will be required to make up any missed hours.







Attendance The following conditions apply to all students undertaking their work placement hours: Arrival, Break and Departure Times Students must arrive in the nominated host employer’s premises as per the required START time and date stipulated on the Work Placement Confirmation Form. There is no flexibility in arriving late for work placement. A penalty fee of $50 will be applied to student account if a student arrives at the host employer’s premises after the start time, leaves prior to the finish time, returns to the host employer’s premises late from a break or non-attendance. Students arriving after the start time, taking extended breaks, leaving early or non-attendance may no longer be eligible to participate in subsequent work placement sessions. Students are required to:

1. Arrive and sign-in by the START time indicated and be ready to commence work placement at the start times specified in the Work Placement Confirmation Form*

2. Be present for the work placement induction 3. Be present in the workplace for the duration of the work placement (exclude allocated

breaks) 4. Strictly adhere to break times. 5. Strictly adhere to FINISH time

*Any changes to the start times, shifts or durations of work specified in your Work Placement Confirmation Form must be advised immediately in order to reschedule your assessor visit. Non-attendance Your attendance for scheduled work placement is mandatory. As you are aware, AHSI has negotiated this work placement with a real employer in the industry. In order to maintain an ongoing relationship with the host employers, we must be reliable and professional. We rely on students completing these work placements with the same approach. If a student does not attend a scheduled work placement session, then the host employer is left without a student who they have planned for. They may view us as unreliable and we may lose them as a host employer. AHSI imposes a non-attendance penalty fee if a student misses a scheduled work placement session without providing at least 24 hours’ notice via email to the supervisor and Student Support. The non-attendance penalty fee of $50 is in place to ensure that students understand the seriousness of their obligation to attend scheduled work placement. In addition to the penalty fee, student will need to make up the hours that they have missed. Non-attendance and illness We realise that sometime people fall ill and will be unable to attend a scheduled work placement session. If this happens:







1) Notify your host employer immediately via phone 2) Notify your Student Services Team in your campus via email

Your host employer will also have given you a contact number in case you are sick, be sure to ring the host employer and advise them that you will not be coming in. Even though you are sick, you must fulfil the number of hours specified in your qualification. This means you will have to make up the hours that you have missed. Non-attendance due to illness must be accompanied by a medical certificate and provided to Student Support within 14 days from the date you missed the scheduled work placement session. The medical certificate must cover the specific day that you missed the work placement session. If you provide a medical certificate within 14 days from the date you missed, the non-attendance penalty fee will be waived. If you miss a scheduled work placement session without giving at least 24 hours’ notice or without providing a medical certificate which resulting in you no longer being welcome at the host employer’s premises and AHSI is then required to arrange a new host employer for you, a $200 penalty fee will be imposed. Your suitability for the course will also need to be discussed.

Electronic Devices The use of electronic devices, including but not limited to mobile phones, is not allowed whilst performing your work placement hour (exclude allocated breaks).

Rearrangement of Assessor Visit An estimated week for the assessor visit will be provided on your Work Placement Confirmation Form. You MUST advise Student Support if your host employer initiates any changes in your working days and shift times as this may mean that you will complete your work placement earlier than expected. AHSI must be notified as soon as you are aware of the changes in order to reschedule the visit date. Changes with insufficient notice, may mean that the student has to complete more work placement hours to receive the assessor visit. If students are not present at the time of the assessor visit or provide less than 48 hours’ notice of non-attendance without providing a medical certificate, a $200 penalty fee will be imposed to the student account. If a student requires a second assessor visit in order to meet the requirements of assessment, this will be arranged at a cost of $200. In addition, students may be required to undergo additional work placement hours in order to schedule the second assessor visit. Assessment Outcome – Not Yet Competent Should a student not demonstrate competency within a single work placement, students may be required to undergo additional work placement hours and an additional assessor visit. An additional assessor visit will incur a fee of $200. No resubmission fee applies for the first resubmission of the portfolio.







Penalties

Why do we have penalties? We want to encourage students to abide by our policies and procedures in order to provide a high standard of service and reliability to our host employers. Remember, if you follow the policy then there are no penalties at all. However, if breaches occur, we will impose the following:

• Non-attendance per scheduled work placement session without a medical certificate - $50

• Non-attendance per scheduled work placement session without sufficient notice (i.e. 24 hours minimum) - $50

• A student arrives at the host employer’s premises after the start time, leaves prior to the finish time or returns to the host employer’s premises late from a break - $50

• Rescheduling an assessor visit with insufficient notice (48 hours minimum) - $200 • Non-attendance during assessor visit without a medical certificate or without sufficient

notice (48 hours minimum) - $200 • Additional assessor visit - $200

Penalties are recorded on the student account and students will be sent a Work Placement penalty notice via email. Please note that certificates/qualifications will not be issued until outstanding penalty fees have been paid.

Work Placement Code of Ethics All students are required to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. In order to complete work placement, the student agrees to the following:

• Adherence to the organisation’s Code of Ethics

• Adherence to the work placement arrangement as per the Work Placement Confirmation Form and refrain from initiating changes to the work placement arrangement

• Ensure that all personal behaviours and actions will be in accordance to the appropriate legislation

• Dress appropriately for the workplace, adhering to the Dress Code and Personal Hygiene policy

• Endeavour to fit in with the centre, work collaboratively with staff and undertake duties as directed

• Treating others with courtesy, dignity and respect and avoiding any behaviour which may be regarded as offensive, discriminatory or unethical

• Respecting the right of others to have their own views, opinions, beliefs and values

• Respecting the right of others to privacy and confidentiality

• Avoiding the use of slang, swearing or other language that may be regarded as offensive

• Attempting at all times to act as a role model







Work Placement Health & Safety Guidelines Your health and safety responsibilities are taught in more depth within your course. However, for work placement, students must adhere to the following: General Health & Safety

• If students have skin breaks, they must use an occlusive bandage • Students must wash their hands thoroughly (covering all surfaces between fingers etc.

and up to and including the elbows) – refer to hand washing procedure in your course notes

• Students should not be participating in work placement if they are sick with a contagious disease or condition.

• To protect your own health, you should not be attending to clients with contagious conditions either. If you have reason to believe a client has a condition that may pose a threat to your own health, approach your supervisor immediately for guidance

• Where there are any visible lesions or wounds on a client’s skin, students should seek advice from the supervisor

Staying Alert to Health and Safety Hazards If students see any hazards to the health and safety of anyone in the work placement (including themselves), they should report them immediately to the supervisor. Examples may include things like:

• There is blood, vomit or faeces on the floor • An electrical cord is a trip hazard • Someone has laid towels or clothes directly over a heater

Work Placement Privacy Guidelines Students must adhere to the following. CONFIDENTIALITY Any details collected by students during a work placement, and any information disclosed verbally to a student by a client during a work placement must be treated as strictly confidential. This means that students must never discuss information about their clients with any third party (except the supervisor) – i.e. you cannot tell your friends, or anyone else, anything about your clients, even who your clients were. Also note that you must never take any documentation away with you from your host employer’s premises or copy information from any documentation about a client. Any notes required to complete your work placement portfolio must be de –identified (i.e. the name of the client must be removed).

Work Placement Procedure Guidelines 1. Before Work Placement

A Work Placement Document Checklist and Student Guide will be given to students.

You will be required to undertake a National Police check.







You will be required to undertake a Working with Children Check

Students may be required to provide additional documents such as a resume, First Aid Certificate and etc.

You may be required to complete an application form provided by the host employer 2. Prior to arrival

Please ensure that

o you are appropriately dressed

o you have adhered to work placement hygiene guidelines Bring

o Work Placement Assessment Kit o a pen o a bottle of water o a notebook o food that does not require refrigeration or heating (unless facilities are

provided) o a hat for early childhood qualifications

Organise your travel to ensure you have plenty of time to arrive and be prepared to

start work placement on time

3. Arrival

Follow the sign in procedure instructed by your host employer. If you do not sign in,

your attendance may not be recorded.

Meet your supervisor where organised

Place your belongings in the area that you have been allocated

Turn off / silence your mobile phone and any other electronic devices

Attend the work placement induction where scheduled

4. Work Placement Induction The supervisor may conduct a work placement induction for students, which will

cover information including but not limited to the following:

o Days of work, start times, lunch times, finish times o Any financial remuneration for the workplace as a student o Emergency procedures o Policy and procedure location o Key people in the workplace, such as the manager, other workers, clients o Dress code, including whether hair should be tied back, fingernail length and

polish requirements, shoe requirements o Limits of the student role, i.e., boundaries of what they can and can’t do as a

student







o How the student will receive support and supervision

5. During Work Placement

Follow the policies and procedures of the workplace at all times

If you have any concerns about the workplace, raise these with Student Support immediately by phone or email

Be sure to ask the supervisor for assistance if you are unsure about anything.

Complete your Work Placement Assessment Kit when it is appropriate to do so

Frequently Asked Questions Q: How do I contact AHSI? A: Please contact Student Support via email or phone number. Q: What is work placement for? A: Work placement provides practical training for students. You will work under the supervision of a supervisor in a real workplace. The work placement enables you to practice and develop your skills and is a compulsory requirement in order to gain your qualification. Q: Why is this policy so important? A: Firstly, your work placement is an important part of your education and overall assessment. It demonstrates your ability to observe work placement regulations and guidelines in an industry environment. Secondly, you will be dealing with people who have special needs, it is important that the service you provide is to a very high standard. Q: I feel sick on the day of work placement. What do I do? A: If you are sick, you are required to phone your supervisor immediately and let your supervisor that you are not coming in. In addition, you are required to email Student Support of your absence. You will also be required to email a copy of your medical certificate to Student Support for our records. If you provide a medical certificate within 14 days from the date you missed the scheduled work placement session, the non-attendance penalty fee will be waived. Please note that you are still required to make up the hours you miss. Q: My bus/train was late. Is that ok? A: No, it is very important that you are punctual to your work place. Remember, every day is like a job interview and you need to make a good impression. Even if the reason for being late is genuine, the penalty fee of $50 will still be enforced. Plan your trip to take into account possible delays and make every effort to arrive earlier to avoid being deemed late. Q: Do I need to stay for the whole work placement? A: Yes. A penalty fee of $50 will be issued to any student who leaves prior to the work placement finish time. Q: When should I notify the College if changes occur after I received the Work Placement Confirmation Form?







A: You need to advise AHSI immediately. This will give us time to reschedule the assessor visit. If you do not give us sufficient notice, the assessor may not be available, and you may have to undertake additional hours in order to be assessed. You must advise us of any changes from the original schedule in the Work Placement Confirmation form. Q: Will I always have a visit? A: Yes, the assessor visit is part of your assessment for the course. You will not be eligible for your qualification without it. In very rare situations, an assessor visit may not be appropriate. AHSI will arrange alternative ways to assess your work placement in these rare cases. Q: What happens during the visit? A: The AHSI Assessor will complete a checklist regarding your skills as demonstrated in the workplace. If the AHSI Assessor feels that you have not mastered the skill area to a minimum standard for the workplace, they will provide feedback to you regarding what skills they are expecting you to display, and how you might develop these skills. Arrangements may need to be made for the AHSI Assessor to visit you in the workplace another time if your skills are not up to industry standard. It may be necessary for you to extend your work placement to gain the skills required, or to undergo further training. An additional assessor visit will incur a fee of $200. Q: What is a police check? A: A National Police Check is required in Aged, Disability, Mental Health, Child Care, Community services and Counselling facilities. This is a background check to disclose any criminal records of the applicant. It must be completed and supplied to AHSI at the same time as the Work Placement Employer Agreement Form Q: What is a working with children check? A: A Working with Children Check is a requirement for people who work or volunteer in child-related work. It is an AHSI requirements that all students undertaking work placement undertake a Working with Children Check and it must be completed and submitted to the same time as the National Police Check. Q: Can I use my own employer for work placement? A: Yes, if they meet the mandatory criteria for work placement assessment. The employer must be able to provide access to the tasks, equipment and resources necessary to undertake your Workplace Assessments. An appropriate host employer will also expose you to the relevant level and variety of tasks corresponding to the course level. For example, for the diploma level, students need to gain exposure to decision making processes and planning in the workplace. Please contact student services for a Work Placement Employer Agreement Form for your qualification. There are specific due dates for these forms, if you do not submit the form on time, you will not be able to nominate your own workplace. Q: What is the Work Placement Employer Agreement form? A: The Work Placement Employer Agreement Form is used to collect important information about your workplace or proposed Host Employer.







This includes: • Contact details of the organisation • Nature of the services provided by the organisation • Details of the proposed Workplace Supervisor • Equipment and resources available at the organisation

Q: What factors will make me ‘ineligible’ for work placement? A: There are several factors that may impact a student’s eligibility. Whilst one factor on its own may not be enough to prevent a student from going on work placement, if several factors give us concern, then this will impact your eligibility. Factors include, but are not limited to:

• Insufficient knowledge or skills in your course • Completed assessments • Participation • Attendance • Ability and initiative to communicate • General attitude and interest • Ability and initiative to form relationships

If a student is deemed ineligible to go onto work placement, you will be contacted by AHSI and asked to attend a meeting with Students Support and a Trainer and Assessor to discuss your options. This may require repeating a term of study, extension of COE and Visa or in some courses, changing to another course of study.



Work Placement Student Guide - AHSI

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Transcript of Work Placement Student Guide - AHSI